Phu Quoc Island by Boat

Phu Quoc Island, in the Gulf of Thailand off Vietnam’s southwest coast, is fast becoming the country’s premier beach destination. With the opening of an international airport, the completion of numerous high-profile resorts, and newly sealed roads now stretching even to some of the island’s most remote beaches, Phu Quoc is on track to become one of the star attractions on the Southeast Asia ‘beach trail’. An enjoyable, cheap, and convenient way to reach the island – especially for those travelling to or from Cambodia – is by boat. Over a dozen passenger and car ferries leave regularly from two of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta towns: Ha Tien, on the Cambodian border, and Rach Gia, a couple hours further south. On this page, I provide all the information you need to know about getting the boat to and from Phu Quoc Island, including a full listing of times and prices for passengers and vehicles.

GUIDE: PHU QUOC ISLAND BY BOAT

Note that fast boats sail to Phu Quoc from both Ha Tien and Rach Gia in the Mekong Delta, but car ferries sail from Ha Tien only. All of the information, schedules, and prices on this page are accurate at the time of writing (January 2017). However, specific details on this route can and do change from time to time. But, in my experience, you can generally guarantee at least two sailings a day in each direction, on each route: one in the morning and one in the afternoon (weather permitting). Check the Superdong (fast boat) and Thanh Thoi (car ferry) websites for more information, contact details, and ticketing services.

ROUTE MAP: ALL BOATS

ABOUT: THE FAST BOAT

There are several companies operating fast boat services to Phu Quoc from Ha Tien and Rach Gia. But by far the most efficient and regular of these is Superdong. The boats are long and slender with inside seating on comfortable soft chairs. Air-con is turned up to the max, and Vietnamese pop music and soap operas are played throughout the journey. If you’re not into Vietnamese popular culture, it’s a good idea to head out to the back deck, where you can sit outside and watch the churning wake disappearing into the distance. (Note: for the first and last 10 minutes of the voyage, passengers are not allowed outside on deck). Boat staff are young and polite, and there are decent toilets on board, but no food or drink is available.

Long and slender: the fast boats to Phu Quoc (mostly operated by Superdong) are small but comfortable

Although there are at least four fast boat companies, there should be little confusion for travellers, because all tickets for all boat companies are sold either at the ticket offices at the boat piers or at guesthouses, resorts and hotels in Phu Quoc, Rach Gia, and Ha Tien. Ticket prices are fixed and no commission is charged if you buy them through your hotel, so most travellers find it more convenient to do it this way. All fast boats from Ha Tien and Rach Gia dock at Bai Vong Port on Phu Quoc, in the southeast of the island, about 15 minutes’ drive from the main town of Duong Dong. The only hindrance to your voyage might be weather: in the rainy season (May to October) rough seas can force companies to cancel their services.

Deck space: the fast boats have decent outside areas from which to watch the seascape pass by

If you’re travelling on two wheels, all fast boats from Ha Tien and Rach Gia can carry several motorbikes, but it’s best to book at least a day in advance, especially during high season (December to April). Be aware thatthe baggage handlers, who are the ones in charge of your motorbike, sometimes try to rip you off by charging an additional ‘handling fee’ upon arrival: make sure you pay before boarding and establish that the amount is all inclusive. (Note: you will need your passport and vehicle license plate number to make a reservation.) See the full fast boat schedule HERE.

Fast boats have space for 10-12 motorbikes, which are loaded on the front of the vessel

ABOUT: THE CAR FERRY

Unlike the fast boats, there’s only one company operating the slower car ferries between Ha Tien and Phu Quoc Island. Thanh Thoi has recently added new vessels to its ever expanding fleet. The car ferries are big steel hulks with room to accommodate trucks, coaches, cars and motorbikes, and plenty of inside seating on soft seats upstairs. There’s lots of deck space out among the vehicles, and most of the ferries have a decent bar/cafe on-board too (some even have karaoke). Toilets are OK.

A hulk of steel: the car ferry can accommodate dozens of large vehicles & hundreds of passengers

From Ha Tien, the car ferry sails to two separate ports on Phu Quoc: Vinh Dam, in the southeast of the island (20 minutes from Duong Dong town), and Da Chong, in the remote northeast of the island, about 45 minutes’ drive from Duong Dong town. Thanh Thoi can arrange transfers between the ports and Duong Dong Town for a small extra charge. You can book tickets at the ferry piers or through hotels in Ha Tien and Phu Quoc. In general, there’s no need to book in advance. (Note: you will need your passport and vehicle license plate number to make a reservation.) See the full car ferry schedule HERE.

Passengers can stand outside on the deck and there’s a cafe/bar on-board most vessels too

SCHEDULE & PRICES: THE FAST BOAT

Fast boats, the majority of which are operated by Superdong, run from both Ha Tien (1.5 hours) and Rach Gia (2.5 hours) in the Mekong Delta. All fast boats dock at Bai Vong Port in the southeast of Phu Quoc Island. Each fast boat has capacity for 200-300 passengers and 10-12 motorbikes. Seating is on soft, coach-style reclinable chairs; there’s also some outside deck space. Toilets are fine, but no refreshments are available on-board. If you’re travelling in the high-season (December to April) it’s advisable to book passenger and motorbike tickets at least a day in advance, because the fast boats fill up very quickly. (You must have your passport and motorbike license plate number to book tickets.) The following schedules are for Rach Gia first, and Ha Tien second. (Note: times given in brackets are additional sailings laid on during the high season. Although times are subject to change, there will almost always be two sailings in each direction daily: one in the morning and one in the afternoon.)

SCHEDULE & PRICES: THE CAR FERRY

The car ferry, operated by Thanh Thoi, only runs from Ha Tien (not Rach Gia), but there are sailings to two separate ports on Phu Quoc Island: Vinh Dam Port (sailing time 3.5 hours) in the southeast of the island, and Da Chong Port (sailing time 2.5 hours), in the northeast of the island. The car ferry has capacity for nearly 400 passengers, 200 motorbikes, 20 cars, and several coaches and trucks. Seating is on soft, coach-style reclinable chairs; there’s also lots of outside deck space. Toilets are fine but not great. There’s a decent bar/cafe on most vessels. Generally, there’s no need to book tickets in advance, but during the high season (December to April) it’s advisable to do so. (You must have your passport and vehicle license plate number to book tickets.) The ferry times and prices below are for Vinh Dam Port first, and Da Chong Port second. (Note: staff repeatedly stressed to me that these sailing times are not fixed, so treat the following schedule as a general indication.)

46 Responses to Phu Quoc Island by Boat

Hi Tom. Thanks for this article, nice and easy overview for the ferries. I’m thinking about going for a few days in early November as I’m living in Phnom Penh and we have some holidays around that time. However, a company here told me that the ferry doesn’t sail in November because the water level is too low. That sounded really strange to me, but I obviously don’t want to end up stranded (although I suppose there are worse places to strand) so I was wondering if you could debunk this for me?
Cheers, Dee

I’ve never heard that before, but I suppose it’s a possibility. Sometimes boats don’t sale because of bad weather during the summer months. But I’ve sailed to Phu Quoc in November before and had no problems.

Of course, if you were stranded on the mainland, Ha Tien is a really interesting place for a couple of days

Good webpage (which Andy at Oasis Bar told me about) and there has been some changes to the car ferry service. There are now 2 Companies operating a service and these are soon to be joined by a Superdong car ferry service. The permanent service to Da Chong will start on 10th September 2017. The prices for car ferry that you have mentioned are correct except that the price you mention for a motorbike is for those up to 150cc. For bikes over 150cc the cost jumps to 320,000VND. The car ferry post is no longer at Vinh Dam and has moved near the Superdong port at Bai Vong. All 3 Companies are based around here except for the 2 a day service from Da Chong. However, all car ferries do not go from the same place mentioned on your map. 2 ferries go from the opposite of the bridge.

I also do an update, with photos) to ferry changes and taking a bike to/from Phu Quoc on Tripadvisor:-

Thanks for the updates – sounds like they have been quite a few changes over the last few months. Good news for travellers having all those ferry services to choose from. I suppose it might not be such good news for Phu Quoc though, when all the cars start clogging the island roads.

Hi Tom,
I was hoping you might be able to recommend the best way to get from Saigon to Phu Quoc, apart from flying as we’re trying to keep the cost down, and then from Phu Quoc to the Mekong for a day tour and back to Saigon. It would be much appreciated
Thanks
Nick

A mate and me are getting ready to embark on a month long motobike trip across Vietnam. We are booked to fly into HCMH and were then considering a flight to Phu Cuoc and beginning our bike trip there after spending a couple days on the island. My question is do you think it would be possible to buy 2 bikes in Rach Gia or Ha Tien after taking the ferry off of the island? We are trying to save a couple travel days but I am concerned about a possible lack of bikes for sale out of HCMC. Thanks!

Yes, I think it might be difficult to pick up a bike in Rach Gia or Ha Tien. Perhaps you could try contacting Andy from Oasis Bar in Ha Tien and see if he can help you out. Or maybe Tigit Motorbikes or Flamingo Travel (both in Saigon) can arrange dropping your rental bikes in Rach Gia or Ha Tien. But I think it would make more sense to either fly back from Phu Quoc to Saigon and get your bikes there, or simply ride Saigon to Phu Quoc and back again – it’s a pretty interesting ride if you follow this route.

Thanks a lot for getting back to me. Looks like my concern was valid and we will have to consider other options. I will try and get in touch with Andy as well and see if he can possibly help. Worst case scenario we can fly back.

I would like to know if you can help me with the route Phu Quoc – Pnhom Penh.
I will travel next July and I would like to travel from Phu Quoc by boat in direction of Pnhom Penh, I saw that the best port for that will be probable the HA TIEN. Do you have any advice to do HA TIEN to Pnhom Penh?

Yes, that’s right, you can take the boat from Phu Quoc to Ha Tien and then cross the border into Cambodia. But I can’t give you any advice on the roads in Cambodia because I don’t know them very well. I think it’s only about 100-150km from the border to Phnom Penh

Your site has been so helpful as I’ve been planning my Vietnam trip. I was wondering if you had advice about booking these ferry tickets ahead of time- I can’t seem to figure out how to do it on their site and I worried that they might sell out considering that I want to travel on New Years Day. Is it possible to purchase online ahead of time? Are seats first come first server?

I have never personally booked in advance, but my friends have, and yes it’s a good idea to do that if you are going to be travelling during the holidays. Just click on the link to the Superdong website in this article and it will take you to the English language version of their homepage. Then click ‘Ticketing System’ in the top menu. On the next page it has the phone numbers and addresses of various ticketing offices, including a hotline.

Great info thanks! We’re taking one of the ferries in 2 days. Not sure yet whether the slow or the fast one. One question, do you know how do we get to the port in Phu Quoc? I imagine a taxi could be very expensive.

It depends which ferry you are going to take: if you take the fast boat the port is not that far from Duong Dong Town so you could take a taxi or I’m pretty sure there’s now a bus service between Duong Dong and the port specifically timed for arrival and departure of the boats – ask the reception at your hotel. But, the port for the slow boat is quite far so, yes, a taxi would cost a bit of money and is probably the only option.

What a fantastic find Vietnam Oracle is. Vast amount of very useful info!

Can I please double check and confirm about ferry travel time from Ha Tien to Bai Vong which according to the schedules say take approx 1.5 hours? Also, would you have any info regarding Superdong operation in month of June?
Would I be right in saying the month of June is within the quieter season and therefore there may not be a 1:15 departure from Ha Tien or is that a regular?
The link to their website appears to be currently broken.

In June I would think that the Superdong schedule would be normal – that is, they would not have the extra sailings that are usually put on for public holidays. The 1.15 is on the regular schedule so that should be OK.

1. We eventually got tickets in Sihanoukville included a taxi from the border. A bit pricey (17$ per person) but they waited at the border and drove us directly to the pier.
A tip for other travelers is to buy a return ticket at once if you go out of Phu Quoc and then back.

2. The bordercrossing went ok, but you have to show your papers 4 times, and you have to walk about 300 meters from Cambodia side to Vietnam side. Calculate 15-20 min if you are early.
Note: do not pay the guards anything even though they say you have to pay “doctors fee”.

Thanks for the info, came in super-handy. We’re actually planning on going to Ha Tien from Phu Quoc with the fast boat, then from there head to Sihanoukville, at least that’s the plan. Is there somewhat reliable bus service from Ha Tien or across the border on the Cambodia side to there? I’m suspecting there is, but just want to confirm.

I’m pretty certain there are good buses/companies that take you from Ha Tien across the border to Cambodia and further, but I don’t have any specific names. Hotels in Ha Tien are all set up for organizing that kind of route so there will be plenty of information when you get there.

If you’re getting the boat from Phu Quoc to Ha Tien sometime over the next couple of weeks, it’s advisable to book your boat tickets soon as they can sell out during the Lunar New Year holiday, which is starting around now.

Hope you are able to give us answers to some questions nobody seems to know.

1. Is it only possible to buy tickets for the superdong in ha Tien? We are trawling from Sihanoukville by taxi and not with the local bus companies. We would like to get tickets before arriving at the ferry in case it is full.

2. Is it usually much hassle when going out of Cambodia and in to Vietnam at the Ha Tien border? We have visa as we have already been in Vietnam.

As of December, 2015, the car ferry departed Phu Quoc to Ha Tien at 12 pm and 3 pm. The road to the dock is crazy muddy and bumpy, and is slow going. It seems like the car ferry is the way to go, because you don’t have to book in advance, fight with the porters, and it’s cheaper.

However, they did almost kill me. I was standing at the railing of the waiting area taking pictures of the arriving boat, with dozens of fellow passengers. They threw a rope with a very heavy weight, and it came within inches of smashing me in the face. Everybody just smiled and laughed, so I wonder what sort of recourse there would have been if it had hit me.

Thanks for the update. I can’t believe they haven’t paved the road from the dock yet. However, it won’t be muddy much longer because the dry season is here now: pretty soon the rains will stop and the mud will turn to dust.

Yes, Vietnam isn’t known for its high standards of health and safety, especially when it comes to marine travel.

Tom thank you so much for your helpful posts on Vietnam. From managing to get my swimming fix in HCMC to facilitating the travel to Ha Tien and onwards to Phu Quoc Your informative posts really helped us make the most of our trip. Much appreciated

Well, it’s normally pretty easy to get from Saigon to Phu Quoc island by bus to Rach Gia or Ha Tien and then boat to the island (see relevant comment in this thread). However, as you are travelling right at the peak period (just after Tet day) you may find it difficult to get a ticket and companies may also bump up prices a bit. I would get your ticket/s as soon as possible, otherwise they might all be gone. Ask around the travel agents and bus companies in Pham Ngu Lao in Saigon’s backpacker district.

Thank you so so so very much for posting this information. It’s been a lot harder to find information on the schedules and recommendations than I thought it would be.

I plan on spending about two weeks in the Mekong Delta area and hope to make my way out to Phu Quoc. From what I’ve read, thieves seem to be terrible in Rach Gia? I am a very safe and smart traveler but it seems as though it is more prevalent there than most places I’ve read about. Did you feel unsafe traveling through Rach Gia?

Hi Kelsey,
I have never heard any complaints about thieves in Rach Gia before. Although I’m sure there are some thieves around, I’ve never encountered any problems in Rach Gia before, and I’ve never felt unsafe there. If, as you say, you are a very safe traveller and take all the normal precautions against robbery, then I should think you will be absolutely fine. Safety aside, of the two Mekong Delta towns that run boats to Phu Quoc, Ha Tien is the nicer.
Good luck on your trip,
Tom

Thanks for good information. I can confirm that the Superdong from Rach Gia to Phu Quoc is still 350000 dong, (12/12 2014). Also I can recommend people traveling from Saigon to take a Mekong delta tour and stay one night in Can Tho before continuing to Rach Gia. Tour operator will be happy to help arrange this.

For budget travellers it seems from my experience that you don’t have to book the ferry in advance, you might as well buy it in Rach Gia, as you have to collect your ticket in the office anyway.

Hello! Do you know if a visa is still needed for phu quoc if coming from cambodia? Likewise, what is the return process into Cambodia again? And would you consider it a worthwhile trip to phu quoc or better to check out some cambodian islands?

Hi Katie,
I’m pretty sure you still need a visa, yes. But better to check when you’re there for most recent info.
I like Phu Quoc a lot. There’s a wider range of accommodation on Phu Quoc than the Cambodian Islands, but Phu Quoc is more developed than the Cambodian Islands – so it depends which you prefer
Tom

Thank you this information is valuable. I am looking at spending Tet 2015 on Phu quoc and would like to take the ferry from Rach Gia on the 18.02.2015. Can anyone assist in letting me know if there would be timetable changes at this time? thank you in advance.
zara

Hi Zara,
As far as I know the ferry schedule will be the same or at least similar: two boats every day in both directions, one in the morning, one in the afternoon. But you should check closer to the date you travel to make sure: take a look at the Superdong website which is listed on this page in the introduction.
Tom